There’s A Big Difference Between Exercising & Training: Here’s What It Is

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If you find a way to fit physical activity into your routine every week, you deserve a pat on the well-defined back.
Seriously. 
Almost 2 in 3 Aussie adults are overweight or obese. We’re not talking about a couple of extra pounds around the hip region; a whopping 63% of us are currently at a weight that’s detrimental to health.
So if you’re making a conscious effort to be active, you’re in the minority. 
Finding motivation to get sweaty week in, week out, requires commitment. While finding motivation ain’t always easy, there are certain attitude adjustments that make this dedication less of a drainer. 
One of them is thinking about your physical activity as ‘training’ rather than boring old ‘exercising’.
You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete or an ultra-marathon runner to train. Here’s how to switch your thinking from “exercise is something I just gotta do to makes ends meet” to “training is a lifelong commitment I enjoy” – and why it’s worth it.

EXERCISING IS UNDIRECTED, TRAINING IS GOAL-ORIENTED
Grab a cushion, brew yaself an English Breakfast; here’s a quick story, folk.
In late 2012, I’d just graduated high school and I was in limbo between school and “real life”. I was at a loss on what to do with my time, I joined a gym.
This wasn’t easy. 
I’m asthmatic and the least physically-competitive person I know. (In Year 7, I came absolute last in my school-wide compulsory cross country and subsequently had a major asthma attack. The only sport I liked as a kid was dodgeball because it’s impossible not to enjoy pelting classmates with balls.)
So when I started going to the gym, I found it really, really difficult. While the few free introductory PT sessions gave me some idea of how to use the equipment, I had no game plan. Each weekday I’d rock up and randomly flit between machines. Of course, after three weeks of this, I gave up.
Without a goal, or a plan, there was no incentive for me to slog it out. 
A month of avoidance ensued, until I finally sat down with a personal trainer and nutted out my goals and motivations for turning up each day. Once I found my drive and had a goal I wanted to achieve, training became something I looked forward to. 
Fast forward five years, and I’m still showing up every week to bust my guts.

EXERCISING IS MAINTAINING, TRAINING IS PROGRESSING
There’s a huge difference between coasting and keeping the status quo, and pushing it.
Exercise can be thought of as something you do in order to be healthy and prevent disease, whereas training is about transforming yourself and discovering how strong you are.
Your typical exerciser may go to the gym on a regular basis, but they’ll end up doing the same routine. Perhaps some weights training on Monday, some cardio on Wednesday and a focus on squats on Friday. The only thing is, they’re never pushing themselves. In order to train effectively, it’s important to make advancements. 
Let’s say you love doing weighted lunges. You started off with 5kgs in each hand, and maintained this weight for 3 sets of 20 reps. While it’s a great place to start, in order to see change and gain strength, you need to consistently add weight to your workout. The best way to start this is to get a personal trainer on board to assess your strength and advise a plan that won’t result in injury.
If you’re ready to push yourself, Nike+ Training Club holds a tonne of free, 60 minute workouts in most capital cities (Sydney’s here and Melbourne’s here). Instead of toiling it out on the treadmill, rock up to one of the sessions. Variation is a key element of training as it shocks your body into getting stronger.
EXERCISING IS A THING YOU DO, TRAINING IS A LIFESTYLE
A common thing happens when you start taking your sweat sessions seriously; you might be inspired to make some healthy changes to your diet and other areas of your life, too.
If you’re spending a considerable amount of time in the gym, it’s important to give your body the fuel it needs. Protein, fibre and a solid helping of greens is the best way to ensure you’re getting out what you’re putting in. The benefit of regular training is that you might find you’ve got more energy too, which you can use to meal prep. Win, win, win.
Together with training, eating solid, nutritious meals can be revolutionary to not only your physique, but your mentality, too.
Photo: Paper.

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